Elected Officers

Sally McManus - Secretary

Sally McManus was appointed Secretary in March 2017. She was previously the Vice President directing the ACTU's campaigns.

Prior to joining the ACTU, Sally was the Branch Secretary and an Organiser with the ASU in NSW and the ACT for 22 years. During Sally's time as ASU Secretary their membership grew from 9,500 to 12,000 members. She has led many successful campaigns in the private, public and community sectors including a campaign preventing water privatisation and the Equal Pay campaign for community and disability workers that delivered between 18-40% pay increases.

Michele O'Neil - President

Before being elected as ACTU President Michele was CFMEU Vice President and the National Secretary of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA). Michele represented workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry for 28 years and held a variety of union positions in her own union and in the broader trade union movement in Australia and globally.

Michele O’Neil is the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Before being elected as ACTU President Michele was CFMEU Vice President and the National Secretary of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA). Michele represented workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry for 28 years and held a variety of union positions in her own union and in the broader trade union movement in Australia and globally.

Michele led campaigns to win world leading rights for workers throughout clothing supply chains including for homebased outworkers. A model of supply chain accountability for workers which has increased pay and conditions for some of Australia’s most exploited workers.

Michele was a founding member of the Fairwear Campaign and is Secretary of the national joint Union/Industry body, Ethical Clothing Australia

Michele has been a long-term campaigner for the rights of the low paid, women, migrant workers, and asylum seekers.

Scott Connolly - Assistant Secretary

Scott Connolly was re-elected ACTU Assistant Secretary at the ACTU Congress in July 2018.

Scott Connolly was re-elected ACTU Assistant Secretary at the ACTU Congress in July 2018.

Prior to this he was Assistant Secretary at the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Queensland branch.

Scott grew up in western Sydney, and like many young Australians, his first job was working the trolley at Woolworths during high school, where he stayed for 12 years in a variety of roles from dockhand to payroll.

It was there he began his involvement in the union movement, joining the SDA and becoming a delegate so he could have a say in management’s decisions.

Scott started at the TWU as an Industrial Officer before moving across three branches over 16 years where he was instrumental in protecting workers in the transport industry, including legal changes to recognise trucks as a workplace and protecting bus drivers from violence.

Scott was also involved in achieving domestic violence leave and increasing parental leave entitlements for Virgin members and leading the 2011 Qantas members’ campaign when management grounded the airline.

As ACTU Assistant Secretary, Scott is passionate about fighting for a better future to ensure the next generation are not left worse off by the current generation.

Scott has a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Relations, writing his honours thesis on the ACTU and the TWU during the Accord, and has studied in trade union leadership at the Harvard Law School.

Outside of work, he is a proud father of three kids and on his son's advice, is a Western Bulldogs supporter.

Liam O'Brien - Assistant Secretary

Liam O’Brien was elected to the position of ACTU Assistant Secretary in December 2018.

Liam started with the AWU Victorian Branch in 2003 as an organiser. It was a role that gave him experience across the state and insight to the issues that concern members.

Liam O’Brien was elected to the position of ACTU Assistant Secretary in December 2018.

Liam started with the AWU Victorian Branch in 2003 as an organiser. It was a role that gave him experience across the state and insight to the issues that concern members.

In 2009 he was elected Victorian Vice-President and in that same year became a national organiser with responsibility for industries including aluminium, glass and construction. In that capacity he played a pivotal role in major campaigns including the fight to save Alcoa Point Henry after the company announced a review of that operation. In 2013 Liam was elected as an AWU National Vice-President.

Liam has previously been an alternate director and member of AustralianSuper’s audit compliance and risk management committee and is currently a director of Prime Super.

Worksite

Union Aid Abroad

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is the overseas aid and development agency of the ACTU. Our work aims to build self-reliance through support to educational and training projects for workers and their organisations in the developing world.